Through the Eyes of an Elf
by Lallie
Summary: House elves watch every movement that goes on in Hogwarts. This is a tale told by one of the elves about a very sticky love triangle. D/G!
1. Cookies

A/N: Hello! This story is going to seem slightly strange because I was in a weird mood when I started writing it. I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters they belong to J.K Rowling and some other people by now. Anyways please enjoy and review! ~

Nobody notices house elves, not really. If a sock goes missing or a student comes down into the kitchen looking for a midnight snack, sure, but do any wizards or witches notice us when they're fighting with each other? No, of course not. We house elves are just left alone to ourselves so we can mind everyone's business.

I guess that's how biscuit gambling got started. A couple of us house elves were done for the day and Permsy randomly made a comment about how he would bet a couple of ginger snaps that Miss Lavender Brown and Mr. Justin Finch-Fletchley would make a go at it that week. So a couple of us decided we would take up that bet and now the rest is history.

It is always funny seeing which elf loses his biscuits. They just weren't paying attention. It's the little things like how that redhead twitches her lips with irritation when Mr. Harry Potter steals a sip from her morning juice or how she shifts away from him whenever he sits a little to close for her liking. Those are the things we house elves watch for, and its what made my biscuit tin the fullest.

I am beginning to leave my point. We house elves are pretty much left alone as long as we get our work done. The only house elf that causes us any sort of discomfort is Dobby. He keeps bringing attention to our actions. It just isn't done! It breaks every rule of politeness and the Code of Conduct for the House Elves at Hogwarts.

So the reason for this journal...well of sorts, is to- oh bother what was that word? - Document the most interesting interactions between Miss Ginny Weasley, Mr. Harry Potter and Mr. Draco Malfoy. They are the one's who have helped fill my biscuit tin to the top. Oh yes!

Oh dear, I've wondered again. This is going to cause some problems. I must try to stay on topic. House elves are not to be seen or heard, but they must do their duties with all their heart and soul. That is the house elf motto. This is also the reason why house elves are never truly noticed or considered to be of any importance. We proudly work and we keep out mouths shut about everything. Did I forget to mention that? We house elves know everything. This is why I feel - oh what's that word! What do I feel? - Compelled to write about one of Hogwarts most troublesome love triangles at this current time.

I've been watching those three since the day they set foot in our magnificent castle. There certainly wasn't any kind of friendship between Mr. Harry Potter and Mr. Draco Malfoy. They positively hated each other. Personally, I think it is because Mr. Harry Potter rejected Mr. Draco Malfoy and Mr. Draco Malfoy is certainly not one to forgive easily. It's strange how seven years later they still act like first years. They've basically had the same squabbling tendencies since then.

Anyway, Miss Ginny Weasley came to our school with a crush on Mr. Harry Potter, it bordered upon obsession. It slowly calmed down I guess, because she went to the Yule Ball with that Neville Longbottom fellow. She went out with a couple of other boys from school, and then started to fall head over heels in love with the one and only Draco Malfoy.

I don't even think she knows how it happened, however, I do. It was the bet where I won that gigantic meringue scone. He had started watching her, seeing what little things irritated her so he could pull the old Malfoy one two on the youngest Weasley child. It worked too. She positively hated him. Whenever he was around her, she would tense up as if preparing for an attack. They came all right but soon the attacks became slower as if they were drawn out like he was savoring a delicious taste. He fell for her long before she fell for him though. It probably didn't help that she was going out with Mr. Harry Potter at the time. But that's beside the point. I can remember it like it just happened.

~

Ginny had just walked out of potions class with a scowl on her face. She leaned against the wall waiting for Harry just like any other day when she spotted a figure lounging in the shadows, watching her with amusement.

"Waiting for your one and only, love?" he sneered at the short redhead.

"Why must you persist in calling me 'love'? I hate it! And yes, I am, thank you very much," she replied stiffly, turning a slim shoulder towards him.

"I know you hate it, that's why I do it." He pushed himself up from the floor, strolling over to her. "Well love, you might have to wait a little bit on that. McGonagall is currently chewing him out for defacing school property or some such rubbish. Really darling, I don't know how you put up with that delinquent," he said from behind her, running his hand up her arm to rest upon her shoulder, lightly squeezing it.

She shrugged off his hand in annoyance and took a step away from him. "Malfoy dear," she snapped the endearment sarcastically at him. "Why don't you go re-dye your roots or something? Your touch makes me want to scrub all the skin off of my body."

Draco's eyebrows twitched with amusement. "Really? Is that all my touch makes you feel? Disgust? I'm sure if I tried a little harder, you'd find it almost impossible to live without," this was said with self-assurance.

Ginny rolled her eyes and tried to storm past Draco but he moved to block her whichever way she went. Finally, she gave up trying to get around him and tried to make a mad dash between him and the wall trying to squeeze through. She almost made it. Almost. He had planted his arm against the stones blocking any passage for the pretty Gryffindor. She stomped her foot in rage, her eyes flashing magnificently, "Damn it, Draco! What the hell is your problem?"

Draco eyed her coolly before he sneered with distaste. "You're my problem," he said evenly as he ran a hand through his perfectly arranged hair. "I don't know how you did it but I can't get you out of my head. It's you and your freaking adorableness, your laughter and the other annoying things that haunt me whenever I take a breath. God damn it, Weasley, why did you just have to be so damn irresistible?" he whispered bitterly.

Ginny's face blanched and she took a wobbling step backwards. Her plump lips drew together in astonishment forming a perfect circle. "I'm...Oh...Malfoy?" she stammered.

"Yes, it's really me," he said as if he was resigned to his fate. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make a declaration or anything." He let his eyes trail down her face. He lifted his hand and flicked her cheek carelessly. "Think about it, will you? A Malfoy and a Weasley, it would never work." He sounded as if he was trying to convince himself but a Malfoy was always certain in his actions. "Stay with your precious Potter, Weasley, it's safer." His head snapped upwards and he glared down the hallway. He backed away with a careless little wave and disappeared into the shadows.

Ginny just stood there in shock, staring at the empty air where he had stood. "Oh crap!" she muttered with her eyes going wide, her hand lifting to linger over the spot where Draco had so idly touched her.

Footsteps suddenly pounded towards her. She turned to see Harry rushing towards her panting. "Sorry Gin, McGonagall kept me. Crazy old bat." He looped an arm around her waist, pulling her snuggly against him. "Ready to go?" his cheerful voice finally pierced her daze. She nodded and they walked off together towards their common room. Every now and then, Ginny would look over her shoulder and sigh, not seeing what she was looking for.

~

That is what got me my most prized possession, the biscuit of my dreams. It was even worth the wait in the cold dark dank dungeons. Oh dear, it's time for me to help with the dinner preparations. I do hope I remember where I left off when I come back.

TBC~


	2. Lamb

A/N: Hello! First of all I would like to thank the people who reviewed me. They make be all warm and fuzzy inside. Secondly I do not own Harry Potter and company. Thirdly- Tiny Q and I have started writing collaboration story under the name Bitter is Better. It's a really funny story. Last thing- Please enjoy and leave a review telling me what you think (positive and negative input is welcome). Thanks!

Dinner, could there possibly be anything better? Quite frankly - I think not. What could be better than feeding wonderful food to people whom you have pledged your life to? For me, nothing can compare with dinner. Unfortunately since there has been an increase in "allergy attacks" we can no longer provide such a wide range of food anymore. It is a tragedy, I say.

Tragedy...oh something tragic happened...I lost my bet! I'm out of the loop on the relationship I would have confidently staked my career as a respectable house elf on. She, Miss Ginny Weasley, did not; I repeat did not break up, call for a break or even pretend to be tired towards Mr. Harry Potter. She did the exact opposite! She cuddled with him and murmured sweet nothings into his ear. I was sure she would go straight to Mr. Draco Malfoy when she realized she was in love with him. Oh, on the bright side of this miserable situation, I no longer have ginger snaps in my biscuit tin. I'm not particularly fond of them, especially when they are no longer soft and warm. I suppose it's the snap I so greatly dislike. It's very disturbing.

Oh dear, I've just been threatened with a frying pan. Nasty woman. She's always muttering about ruling the house elves. She's a little off. Anyway, we house elves truly are amazing. We lift objects that are so much heavier than us and accomplish tasks that should be far beyond our reach. Right, the oh-so-dear couple, I'll get to them in a minute because I'm quite put out with them at the moment. No matter how great and honorable Mr. Potter is, he should not allow my biscuits to go into the hands of another elf.

Right, where was I? Ah yes, dinner. It was an interesting glass -no, not glass or glasses but something like it spectacle to watch. The majority of the students cheerily ate their food like they should be whereas Mr. Draco Malfoy just nibbled, like one of those freakish "bunny" things. Like they're all fluff and fur underneath those ears and teeth. Monster, or mutated spies I call them. Oops, I did it again, always wondering from my point. Mr. Malfoy just picked at his food, brooding and not enjoying his food like he should be. It was lamb! He loves lamb!

One thing I'll never understand about humans is their constant need to contradict themselves. Let's look at Mr. Draco Malfoy for a minute. Here he longs to take Miss Weasley into his arms and say to hell with all of the consequences as long as she's happy and they're together. But on the other, he pushes her away not only to preserve the Malfoy image but also to protect Miss Weasley herself, and in the process hurting her, which is the exact thing he wanted to avoid in the first place.

Humans are confusing creatures. Why can't they be more like ho elves? I shouldn't be the one to try to sort out human emotions; I'll leave that to the house elf in the library. Oh, that's a bit too much information about our little society we have here in Hogwarts. Hopefully it will go unnoticed and be forgotten.

So back to the couple, it was positively sick. Miss Weasley giggled and blushed charmingly at the little things he whispered to her. They acted like they were on their honeymoon or something. She could've passed it off if Miss Ginny Weasley hadn't glanced over at Draco, once, with uncertainty in her eyes. He didn't catch that though. Stupid fool- no...I mean foolish human...no that is disrespectful too- silly Mr. Malfoy. Much better!

Of all of the times to succumb to the silent seduction of the succulent lamb, this truly wasn't the ideal moment. Even if it was perfectly tenderized and exactly to his liking, he should have gone on staring moodily at the happy couple. Apparently he doesn't have the perfect timing we house elves once thought he had.

It reminded me of the old days, when they were dependable. Sorry, it's just some of my lingering bitterness. Those biscuits meant a great deal to me! Anyway, back to Mr. Draco Malfoy, Miss Ginny Weasley was just another person to torment and Miss Ginny Weasley well...she wasn't the happiest person to be around. Those were the days before she became part of a couple. Those were the days indeed.

So as all good things must come to an end, so too did dinner. The treacherous and tricky triangle of love seemed almost nonexistent. It cannot be a triangle if one of the corners is cut. It just doesn't work; well at least in the geometrical sense. The Gryffindor couple walked hand in hand up the stairs towards their tower and the gloomy Slytherin slunk off to the damp dungeons. Stone does not help with the dampness below ground level. It doesn't help with the wood rot either. Thank goodness for our little magic which prevents those inconveniences. Well, in all everyone had a very boring evening. It is depressing.

Personally I think Miss Weasley is avoiding Mr. Malfoy and thus the reason why nothing happened. If only that good old Weasley spunk would spark up and she would go back to looking for trouble. Just because she hated Mr. Draco Malfoy picking on her doesn't mean she did not enjoy picking on him. My favorite out of all of those squabbles was when Ginny asked Draco if he had to special ordered his trousers. It went a little like this.

~

Ginny walked some distance behind the tall blonde who was weaving his way through the crowded hallway. He was walking quite quickly and all she co do was quicken her pace and keep her eyes plastered to the lower part of his torso. A small little smirk spread across her red lips as if an amusing thought had passed through her mind. The smirk quickly disappeared as she bit her lower lip trying to keep her mirth to herself.

"Weasley, I know I have a lovely back side but could you stop staring at my ass like it was a piece of meat?" Draco's cold voice penetrated the red head's thoughts. Her head jerked around trying to find where his voice came from. She spotted him in his usual position, leaning against the wall with his legs and arms crossed and his head slightly tilted to the right.

Ginny's smirk sprung once again to her lips. "And what a large piece of meat it is," she replied calmly.

Draco narrowed his eyes and puckered his lips in thought. "I wish you would make sense, Red. The size of my butt is none of your concern. Now why were you following me and why were you staring at it?" he asked while gesturing to the said portion of his anatomy.

Ginny shrugged and readjusted her shoulder bag, "I was just thinking that the lower part of your body is quite large," her tone was one of patience as if she was explaining something obvious.

Draco glanced downwards and smirked, "Why Ginny, I'm shocked! I didn't think you of all people would have noticed my...abundant size." His eyes glinted with a strange look as he pushed himself off the wall and towards her. "Would you like to see it without any obstructing material?"

Ginny glowered at him and stepped backwards. "Don't be so base Malfoy, I wasn't talking about that," she spat out with disgust.

One of Draco's eyebrows shot upwards towards his hairline. "What?" he asked innocently.

"You know what you were talking about. Anyway, I was wondering if you had to special order your trousers. Do you?" Her question couldn't have been asked in a more innocent tone.

"Are you sure we're not talking about that?" His tone was a perfect replication of hers.

"You know perfectly well I'm not talking about that," she said pointing with her whole hand at the crotch of his trousers. "Do you order your trousers from the same catalogue as the Mounties do?" Not letting go of her query.

"I'll say it one more time Weasley, make sense!" His befuddlement crept into his voice.

"Well, you do know what the Royal Canadian Mounted Police uniform looks like?" The calm control was back.

"Yes, it's bright red with those bulky trouser things. Really Weasley, I have seen that Muggle cartoon show with the flying squirrel and the stupid moose," he muttered back at her with scorn.

"Really? How?" Her curiosity was evident in her expression.

"It doesn't. What I'm trying to say is that you look like you wear those trousers," she explained.

"But I don't wear...oh!" He broke off as he began to understand. "So you think my thighs and butt are huge huh?" Ginny began to back up as he menacingly stepped towards her.

"Well yes. It's the quidditch I assume. It uses the same muscles as professional bike riders or speed skaters use. Their butts are huge! And their thighs are like tree trunks." Her hands making a large circle as if to demonstrate how big their legs really are. One of her hands snapped upwards towards her mouth as she realized what she had said. She spun around on one foot and started running in the opposite direction.

Draco just looked at her disappearing figure in shock. "But I still look hot right?" he yelled after her in an almost panicked voice.

A passing Slytherin eyed him up and down before licking her lips. "You sure do Malfoy, you sure do."

~

It's sad that I have to live off memories when a supposedly explosive trio of people full of pent-up emotions does nothing. I suppose they have their excuses. Mr. Draco Malfoy has his father to be wary of and he is a Malfoy. The other two can always blame it on hormones. It's not fair though! They are supposed to fight or win me biscuits at least. Well I suppose everything's all right though. I did earn some biscuits because Mr. Goyle and Mr. Crabbe did go to the infirmary due to overeating. I knew they would, they always overeat until they are in serious pain on lamb night.

I doubt that anything interesting involving my trio of confusion will happen tonight. I'm just going to go back to my other duties for now. They afford me more pleasure than this one. However, I guess there's always hope and I'll just have to see what the night brings.

TBC~ 


	3. Cake

A/N: Yes, I changed this chapter slightly and it's all edited.  I don't own anything.  I really don't.  Well that's not quite true but the Harry Potter world isn't mine.  The idea's are.  Don't take them please.  Anyways tell me what you think please!

Never in all of my years as a house elf have I heard of anything more insulting- no- degrading as what has happened to the Skelingfur family.  Their owners –their masters who were their protectors and who were the ben…beneficiaries of their loyalty and their hard work for generations – had auctioned the family off and only are keeping the neurotic uncle and his very strange immediate family.  That's like pouring salt onto an open wound.

They put up a sign 'House elves for sale' in Hogsmeade.  It advertised 'Come to the McGumly's cottage for the house elf auction.  Bidding starts at noon.  Lowest bid at only fifty knuts.'  It's abuse, I tell you!  It's like that stupid song I heard some Muggleborn students singing years ago about selling their brother for only fifty _scents_.  Why would somebody sell something for fifty _scents?  It's absolutely ridiculous, but I will not claim to understand the Muggle world at all._

There's only one thing –well maybe more- that house elves will not tolerate humans and being sold off like the filthy livestock that they use and eat so greedily, it's treason.

Oh, this has put the British house elves in an uproar, I tell you.  They are out for dirt, I tell you!  Possibly even mud, but those wizards will never have another respectable family cross that threshold again.  The elves there will not abandon their posts, oh no, but their sons and daughters who will move out when they get married and the house elf in service will die out with the old.  Then poof!  The wizards will lose their oh-so-important social standing because they will be unable to press their robes and cook for their important dinners.  It does not pay to outrage the house elf in society.  It takes a lot to do it but when it does happen, there is a lasting revenge.  We house elves are certainly thorough with everything we do.

Anyway, there is a bright side to this.  Oh yes, it is our approaching locomotive at the end of a very dark and dirty tunnel.  I hate it when house elves agree to seek out vengeance against wizards –though the last time I heard it happen was before the founders of this school- it is just too dirty.  Oh right, the shining light, our tinfoil lining.  The Weasleys now have house elves.  That's right, not one but two.  They bought twins.

Oh bless them.  They bought the little ones and they also arranged with the family who had bought the parents that the twins would stay with them until they are old enough to move out.  I give it three to five months.  They're at that age you know.  The Skelingfur's are very happy about this, even if the Weasleys isn't the most well to do family in England.

Speaking of Weasleys, today is just not a happy day.  Dobby just had to go off and tell Mr. Harry Potter about Mr. Draco Malfoy.  After all I've done for him.  Normally I'm an entirely selfless creature but he just dashed the hopes of dozens of house elves that were all depending on Mr. Potter's obliviousness.  But no!  He just has to park his scrawny little backside on Mr. Potter's chest and peer down at him with worry.

Just thinking about this makes me want to eat cake.  I've never seen so much cake disappear in such a short period of time, though that's what happens when biscuit betting is called off.  Now it's either we get plump on cake or plump on plentiful supply of tasty biscuits.  Everyone chose to eat cake.  You never know when something interesting may pop up.  Stupid vengeance plot!

So Mr. Harry Potter is now slightly paranoid.  All it took was a simple phrase.  Well possible one simple-minded fool but it's all the same in the end.  Quite frankly, it probably can all be contributed to his treatment while he worked for the Malfoys, though he should've been used to it by now, or rather then.  I'm getting confused.

Anyway that phrase that ruined everything was "Watch your Wheezy, Mr. Potter sir."  How dumb can he get?  Oh well, one must assume that stupidity comes along with the territory of being an outcast.  Oh no, you don't, you little weasel.  You will not do this -!

_Oh hello sirs and misses.  Dobby –me- has stolen Cabit's journal.  Dobby is a bad, bad elf but it's his duty!  I had to save Mr. Potter's ship with the littlest Wheezy.  No!  I won't give it back!  I won't!  I won't!  Cabit, stop telling me to go punish myself!  No!_

Confound that elf!  He actually stole my journal and wrote in it.  Well it can't be fixed now.  Once it is written, it stays written.  But that is the last time I use a magical quill.  It writes down everything you say.  It just…just makes a mess.  Right, and so now to Mr. Harry Potter and that idiot Dobby's conversation-

Harry fumbled for his glasses while squinting at the blurry indescribable lump that was perched on his chest.  He quickly put his glasses on and sighed with relief at the sight of Dobby.  "Jeez Dobby, why don't you go give a wizard a heart attack?" he muttered with irritation.

Dobby shook his head with panic.  "Oh no, no, no, not even for you Mr. Harry Potter sir."  His big eyes widened further as they started to fill with tears.  "I'll punish myself later but I have something very important to say to you.  Most important!" he exclaimed.  He got up and started to pace across Harry's chest while looking around the enclosed bed with paranoia.

"What is it Dobby?" Harry's tone resigned to the fact that Dobby would not leave until he had gotten whatever it was off his chest, or Harry's rather.

"You must remember to watch your Wheezy!" Dobby whispered, pronouncing each syllable clearly.

"Why?  What's wrong with Ron?" Harry asked with growing alarm.

"Not him, the littlest Wheezy.  Oh a hungry dragon has her in his sights.  Most dangerous!" He shivered as his fists rose to clench his ears in panic.

Harry placed both of his hands upon Dobby's shoulders and pushed him into a sitting position.  "Whose watching Ginny?"  A crease between his eyebrows formed and an anxious note crept into his tone.

"The silver dragon, he's a snake!" he exclaimed before his hands rushed up and smacked against his mouth painfully.  Tears formed in his eyes again as he watched Harry's face.  "Oh, Mr. Harry Potter sir!  Promise Dobby you'll watch Miss Wheezy.  He wants to do more than watch her." And with that, his fingers were stuffed into his mouth and bitten down upon.  Hard.

Harry nodded slowly.  "Sure, I'll be sure to do that.  Stop chewing of your fingers please Dobby, you really haven't done anything wrong."

"Oh but Dobby has sir.  Oh I'll try to punish myself quietly because Harry Potter does not like it when I'm noisy.  Oh my head will hurt," he cried as he bashed his head against one of the wooden posts of Harry's bed.

"Dobby!  No Dobby, stop doing that.  You'll wake everybody up," Harry urged in a loud whisper.  "Oh fuck," he muttered after he heard a loud thump of something hitting the wall near his bed.

"Shut up Harry! Give a guy some bloody peace will you?" Seamus yelled grumpily.

"Sorry," Harry called back, glaring at Dobby.  "Now please just go Dobby.  I'll watch Ginny, really I will."  The house elf's relief was apparent even through the expression of distress.

"Oh thank you Harry Potter!  You're most good.  So kind," he mumbled as he disappeared.

Harry shook his head slightly and sighed, "Always waking me up to tell me about a 'Wheezy'."

"He is not, now go back to sleep," Ron grumbled sleepily to his best friend.

The raven-haired boy sank down into his bed and took off his glasses once again fumbling to put them on something stable.  Placing them on what he thought was his bedside table he closed his eyes and tried to drift of to sleep.  "Dumb thoughts," he muttered, shifting into a new position.  His thoughts must not have been very pressing for he soon fell asleep.

Harry draped his arm over his eyes, shielding them from the late morning light.  "Oi, Ron, no more opening the drapes before we're all up," he protested loudly.

Ron snorted in response, "Sure, that's why you had that conversation with that Lilliputian last night when we were trying to sleep.  Get up you lazy cow, you'll miss breakfast."

The messy haired boy sat up in bed with a start and climbed out of his bed.  "Thanks Ron, I can't be late again, Gin would kill me if I made her miss the pancakes."  He stopped talking as he remembered his conversation with Dobby and a scowl crossed his face.

"What's wrong with you?" Ron asked curiously.

Harry shook his head as he quickly pulled a shirt over his pale but toned torso.  "I just remembered something Dobby warned me about."

"Oh?  Is You-Know-Who going to rise up from the dead yet again and make Hermione's worst nightmare come true?" his expression belying his cheerful words.

"No, not this time, you overgrown carrot," he joked good naturedly, "It has something to do with Ginny and her being stalked by Malfoy or something."

Ron clenched his firsts and muttered something that sounded like "pompous git" but it could have been "Puddlemere kit" but that wouldn't have made any sense.

Harry put a soothing hand on his shoulder and smiled. "Relax, it's not like she's in love with him or anything.  She likes him about as much as you like spiders."

Ron glared at Harry.  "I don't like spiders," he said bluntly.

"Exactly, so you have absolutely nothing to worry about.  Besides Gin and I are like cake and ice cream, it just works."

"Isn't that pie and ice cream?  Cake goes best alone because the texture is far moister than a piecrust and if you added ice cream, the icing flavor would overpower the subtleties of the ice cream, unless you consider ice cream cake.  Now that is a brilliant combination," Ron started to ramble.

Harry looked at Ron with amazement.  Ron shrugged as if to ask 'Oops, did I forget to mention that I'm obsessed with finding the perfect dessert?'  Harry's eyebrows rose and then he sighed, "whatever you say mate, whatever you say," and then left their dorm laughing.

Hermione and Ginny looked up at the sound of their voices.  "Good morning you two, what's tickling your funny bones?" Ginny asked curiously from her position on the couch.

"Ron was just telling me about the delicate combination of cake and ice cream," Harry elaborated.  He reached over and ruffled her smooth hair.  "Good morning to you too, my little bundle of sunshine," he murmured as he planted a kiss on her scowling face.

Ginny let out an indignant little screech and her hands flew up to straighten her fiery waves.  "Harry!  You touched my hair!  And I'm not your little bundle of sunshine." she cried out.

"Why yes I did, I would worry if you hadn't noticed," Harry replied with amusement, ignoring the second half of her comment.

"Harry, how many times do I have to tell you that unless you're directly related to a girl, you do not mess up her perfectly arranged hair?  I thought we went through this," Hermione relied teasingly over her shoulder from the entrance to the hallway.

Harry chuckled and pulled the formerly annoyed but now giggling redhead to her feet.  "Forgive me love?" he asked tenderly.  "You always look great no matter what condition your hair is in."  He ran his callused fingers through her hair before starting after his best friends.

Ginny stiffened and her eyes grew wide.  "What did you just call me?" her voice slightly tinged with panic.

"I called you 'love'."  Harry looked at her curiously.  "Is that a problem?"  She shook her head in response but kept distance between herself and Harry all the way to the Great Hall.  Harry paused at the doorway in confusion as he watched his girlfriend walk towards her friends taking the last seat in the middle of their little crowd.

"What's the matter Potter?  Are you having girl problems?" a cool voice asked curiously from behind him.

Harry spun around angrily and glared at Draco.  "Yes and its all your fault, I'll have you know."

Draco raised one of his eyebrows with amusement.  "Why thank you for sharing because I didn't know, nor do I really care.  So how am I the cause of all your problems with your widdle relationship with Red over there," he asked curiously while jerking his thumb in Ginny's general direction.

"You're stalking her, that's how!" Harry exclaimed in an intense whisper.

Draco chuckled and walked past Harry lowering his voice so Crabbe and Goyle wouldn't hear him, "Malfoys don't stalk, we observe.  You had better watch it Wide-eyed-wonder-boy, I always get what I want."

Harry sputtered with indignation, "Well you can't have her!"

Draco laughed coldly and replied, "Too late Potter, I already have her."

Ginny looked up and watched Harry and Draco ram heads like big horned sheep.  "Stupid Harry," she muttered to herself as she watched Draco move swiftly to his spot at the Slytherin table.  He looked towards her as if he had felt her gaze upon him and he winked at her.  Ginny blushed but she smiled a little to herself.

"Don't pay any attention to that slimy git Gin, he's up to no good and he's only going to cause you trouble."  Colin's voice broke through her thoughts.

From the entrance to the Great Hall, Harry watched with clenched fists and a very Malfoy like scowl adorned upon his features.

~

See its all Dobby's fault.  If he hadn't warned Mr. Potter, then everything would be so much better.  I think I'm going to cry because it's just so frustrating.  I think I'm going to go seek some comfort from that cake Jinx is eating.  She'll share with a depressed elf.  She's like that.  I'll try to write more after dinner, dinner always cheers me up.

TBC~


	4. Pickles

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
  
Author notes: First off I'd like to send out a huge apology to everyone for taking so long with updating. Life and a huge writers block unfortunately got in the way. So thank you to everyone who has been patient with me. I'd like to give a big thanks to Aurias Ve for beta-ing this chapter and for telling me what didn't make sense. And huge thank you for Farias Jerrica Regan, Tiny Q and others for not letting me forget this story. Without them it could've easily been a year. Please enjoy and have a good day. Oh yes, I do not hate Winky.  
  
The revolution still forges on, we've been put on rations and one third of out staff is always out of commission. Stupid vengeance plot! I don't understand strategy but so much just to bring down one family? I do know why we lower house elves have to sacrifice so much though. It's those old elves at head quarters they force the lowly ranks to suffer while they get our stashes of biscuits.  
  
They just make me so angry, I could almost scream. But I won't, that wouldn't be very house elf like. Who knows what I might turn into? Hopefully not something unnatural, but one can never tell with magic, or at least I can't.  
  
I've been reminded that this document -I'm not allowed to call it a journal anymore- is not a place to rant about house elf problems, "Only those of Miss Ginny Weasley and Mr. Draco Malfoy." Oh and those of Mr. Harry Potter because he's starting to get a little feisty. Well not feisty exactly, that's the wrong word but I think he's developing a slight twitch in his right eye.  
  
Speaking of problems, Miss Weasley got detention! It makes me happy because so did Mr. Malfoy. Oh detention, detention, tra la la la la la. They were fighting and then Professor Snape gave them detention, together. He's my favorite person right now; he's always thinking of us house elves. Well not always, actually, he hardly ever things about us but he did right by us.  
  
So what horrible, horrendous and heinous punishment did that honorable potions teacher give our misguided yet heroic love struck couple? He gave them oven duty! In the kitchen, with us! It's the happiest day of my life. Well except for when I was admitted into the senior ranks of Hogwarts' house elves, oh and when my little baby boy Fusley was born. He does his mother and I proud. He's so much better then that no-good hooligan child -no! - thing of my sister-in-law's, Carl.  
  
He doesn't even have a proper house elf name his name is dull and just so sock duty sounding. "Hi, my name is Carl and I've been picking up dirty socks for seven years." It makes me shudder just thinking about it. Those sock union boys, they go to their meeting to talk about missing socks and whose feet are the smelliest like those Alkeyhall-licks we hear so much about and that damn double A meetings (whatever those are). Why the Alkeyhall-licks hit those bottles so much is beyond me. I mean bottles hurt when you hit them. But I shouldn't be repeating the things I over hear from students that I don't really understand. Though from what I hear they do act an awful lot like Winky did.  
  
Winky, we don't talk about her anymore. It's just too sad to mention. She was a dishonorable house elf alive and died a dishonorable but tragic death. We found her by the putrid aroma of garlic and vinegar that hung heavily in the air. She was floating in a jar of pickle juice, he burned and stained outfit saddened down with that sticky smelly green juice. She had impaled a half eaten pickle with the fingers of one of her filthy hands. It makes me shiver just thinking about it. She had been drinking butter beer again and unintentionally committed suicide. It's a sad tale.but we must move on. We have to. Oh yes, the detention. Now that is something I understand. They had to scrape and clean all of those ovens in our lovely little kitchen. We were told not to clean the ovens so that "the delinquents learn not to disrupt the harmony of the halls." I didn't know the halls could sing much less sing harmony. But I guess Professor Snape knows best, that sweet, bitter, greasy man.  
  
Anyways, the punishment started after dinner. The regular meal was serves. It was roasted beast, mashed potatoes, peas, carrots and pumpkin juice. Then there was desert, apple pie. There was also my famous Caesar salad. It has crotons! They never ever get soggy from the dressing. Perfection. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. Anyways my point was that the ovens really needed cleaning and they were the perfect couple to do it. I even contemplated eating one of my biscuits, like that one with the white chocolate and macadamia nuts. Normally I can't abide having nuts in a biscuit but this is an amazingly yummy cookie, full of soft chewy goodness.  
  
I almost drooled on the parchment; I have to stop fantasizing about that biscuit. No matter how beautiful it is! I am determined. I'm like that woodchuck that could chuck his wood. Very determined, that is what I am. Except I'm cleaner than a woodchuck is. Every house elf is cleaner.well except for Dobby. We house elves have to plunk Dobby into the sink every couple of weeks and we give him a good scrubbing. For some reason he refuses to stay clean, and there's his odd obsession with socks. That certainly is something I'll never understand.  
  
That is beside the point. The detention forces the two unhappy teenagers to talk. Well they didn't really talk, but they did get a few things out into the open. I think their loud discussion was a figurative kick in the pants for their relationship. Too bad Mr. Harry Potter is paranoid about this girlfriend's interactions with "that no good pompous prick of a bloody Slytherin" or at least that's what many of the Gryfindor boys say.  
  
Anyway, the detention, it started out much like every other detention. Professor Snape lectured and explained why they were here. Then sat down at one of the tables to do marking.  
  
"This is all your fault you know?" Ginny hissed under her breath to the blonde accompanying her towards the filthy ovens.  
  
Draco raised one of his eyebrows with a detached curiosity. "Really? Was I arguing with myself again? It takes two to fight Ginny."  
  
The irritated red head wrinkled her nose in distaste but tactfully ignored his comment. He just smirked.  
  
Ginny raised her hands to her hips, ignored the blonde's comment and pursed her lips together. "So how are we going to do this? There is enough work here to keep us here for days."  
  
"The gods wouldn't be so cruel," Snape muttered under his breath.  
  
Draco looked at his potions teacher with amusement and shrugged. "I really wouldn't know. I haven't done a lot of cleaning so I'll let you're good judgment guide us."  
  
Ginny scowled at him and pointed to the last oven. "You start at that end and make your way towards the middle. I'll start with this one," she said as she jerked her head in front of her.  
  
"Now that we have that agreed how exactly do we clean ovens? I'm sure we could just wave our wards and it would be done in a snap." This was said with hope and a bit of wistfulness. He knew magic wouldn't be allowed.  
  
The gloomy man at the table laughed. "Mr. Malfoy you do know how to make me laugh. Now get to work. I have other places to be so if you two would stop whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears and get to work." He gave them a pointed look to emphasize his already disapproving tone.  
  
Ginny blanched while, oddly, Draco just smiled slightly and headed towards the oven. The kitchen was relatively quiet, however, when one considers the presence of the potions master the hush is self-explanatory. After about an hour the sounds of Professor Snape's quill stopped scratching against the parchment and he called out to Draco.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, would you please excuse me for a few minutes? I just have to collect some things from my office. I'll be placing a ward on the door so you two cannot leave before I return. Remember no magic!" the brooding man snapped before turning around and hurried out of the kitchen.  
  
Draco smirked with triumph and strolled over to the oven Ginny was scrubbing away in. "Well my dear, we're all alone," he drawled in a slightly sinister voice. Ginny jerked slightly at the interruption and glared at the blonde over her shoulder.  
  
"Oh sod off Malfoy and get back to cleaning," she muttered darkly. She resumed scrubbing on her hands and knees backing up every now and then when she was done a section of the oven. She had scrubbed the ceiling of the oven and the sides first and now she only had to scrub the floor of the oven and she would be done. She backed up again and tried to flip her hair out of her face. The red head stopped abruptly when she felt her backside brush up against something.something warm, moving and muscled. "Damn," she cursed under her breath.  
  
Draco reached around and pulled her hair away from her face. "Why Weasley, I knew you worshiped the ground I walked on but you really don't have to remain on your knees for me," he pauses, "No matter how lovely the sight is." His warm breath brushed hotly along her neck. She shivered.  
  
"Malfoy you know perfectly well that you are not something I would ever worship. You're egotistical, rude, bitter, sarcastic and overbearing. You cause me no end of problems and you won't leave me alone. Why would I worship someone like that even if I can't stop thinking about him?" she asked in response to his taunts before her eyes went wide as she realized what she had let out in her anger.  
  
"You worship me because you're a fool. You worshiped your strong green-eyed hero for years before seeing any of his flaws you simply followed him around. Do you know how much that irritates me? You are one of the muggle loving, poor offspring of a family which I was raised to hate and I simply can't stop wanting to pummel your precious Potter everything he puts his arm around you. You let him put his arm around you when you should be in my arms, looking at me with that stupid twinkle in your eyes," he responded before yanking her around to face him. Her slight wince of pain did nothing to ease the hold he had on her. "So even though you can't stop thinking about me and we have this connection between us you can't even worship me a little?" his voice a little softer, almost persuasive.  
  
Ginny looked into his cool grey eyes and sighed. She dropped her head against his chest and murmured into his robes quietly, "Well maybe just a little."  
  
Draco smirked and put his arms around her, his expression changed completely when he felt her small hands clasp the back of his robes to return the embrace. "Well Weasley what are we going to do now?"  
  
She just burrowed her head deeper against his shoulder before relying, "I guess we should finish cleaning the ovens." Draco cursed in response. Ginny poked him in the side. "That means let go, you great galumph."  
  
Draco pulled back with a jerk and mockingly glared at her. "You did not just call me a great galumph, did you?" he snapped almost playfully, however a Malfoy's snap will never be truly said in a teasing manner.  
  
"Unless you've suddenly become hard of hearing, then yes I did. Now more before Snape comes back," she teased but her tone was certainly tinged with irritation.  
  
Draco kissed her briefly on the nose before he climbed out of the now clean oven. "You know Weasley, sometimes I think you have no sense at all." He paused before he continued idly, "I really do think I should shrink you, put you in that pickle jar and shake some sense into you." He pointed at an industrial size almost empty jar of pickles.  
  
"Now you've put me in a huggermugger. Why a pickle jar?" Ginny asked curiously.  
  
Draco started to answer but was interrupted by a sharp tug on one of his pant legs. Draco looked down with annoyance and growled, "What do you want? Can't you see I was in the middle of something you mindless toad?"  
  
Dobby's hands clutched his shoulders as he hugged himself with fear. "Oh Master Malfoy you can't put Mister Harry Potter's Wheezy into a pickle jar. She's not yours to shake. Not even for you Master Malfoy." Dobby stared up at him with pleading eyes and ears now clutched in hand. "Not Master Malfoy now. Mister Malfoy, like every other student!" he said with determination.  
  
Draco looked down at his former house elf with confused annoyance. "Make sense!" the blonde ordered.  
  
Ginny climbed out of the oven and stepped in front of Draco, crouching down to look the anxious elf in the eye. "Don't worry Dobby, Draco isn't going to do anything to me. If he did he would have a heard of angry red heads after him, and no one wants my brothers after them," she reassured him gently.  
  
Dobby looked past her shoulder at the seething Slytherin before looking back at the red head. "Dobby just doesn't want Miss Wheezy to end up like Winky did. Winky was Dobby's friend." The kitchen door rolled back revealing Professor Snape, who was scowling at the two detention-ies.  
  
"What are you two doing standing around? Don't you have some scrubbing to do?" the oily haired potions master sneered.  
  
Draco just nodded briskly before climbing back into his previously abandoned oven and to his surprise Ginny climbed in after him. "What?" she asked innocently, "We'll get out faster if we work together." She paused, "Besides I want to know why you chose a pickle jar to threaten me."  
  
Draco sneered playfully in her direction. "I just happen to very fond of pickles."  
  
Ginny shook her head in disbelief. "A vampire hooked on pickled, I think not! Garlic's used in the pickling process and we both know that vampires are allergic to garlic."  
  
Draco stopped scrubbing and turned his head to look at her with confusion. "You think I'm a vampire?"  
  
"Well maybe not a vampire but you certainly are too pale to be normal so what else could it be?" she pointed out.  
  
"I am not abnormally pale, I'm just fair skinned." A snort was all he got as his response. ~  
Anyways they got some things out into the open and even with the terrible threat little conflict with Dobby, the kitchen staff were very pleased with the overall result. They had made contact. Just think those alien things one hears about every now and again. I'm not sure what they are but they do sound interesting. As long as they don't track in any dirt then the house elves will have no problems with them.  
  
Speaking on problems.I have to go check on breakfast preparations. Breakfast in the most important meal of the day and we cannot be stingy when there are hungry bellies to feed. Oh I do love breakfast!  
  
TBC~ 


End file.
